Child of the Games
by NacaMichio
Summary: "My father was the First Victor. I've never seen his games but I know, he has done everything in his power to keep me out of this situation. I plan to make him proud." This is the daughter of the First Victor.
1. Volunteer

**This is the sequel to my story The First Victor. Some adult themes mentioned but nothing too far. Happy Hunger Games.**

_I stare at the sky and choke. I know my time is drawing to a close. Waitr a little longer. I just want to see my father again. I could have won this if I hadn't made a stupid mistake. Such a stupid mistake that it cost me so much more than my life. A twelve year old girl should never have to do this. I failed my father and I just want to cry._

* * *

I slowly wake up and startle when I hear rustling in the room. I'm not alone. It takes me a moment to discover why. Tonight no one sleeps alone. Tomorrow is the reaping. I look over at my father on my left and mother on my right. Legally my father is not listed as a relative at all. Thirteen years ago he was reaped in the very first Hunger Games where he fought twenty three other people to the death. After killing twelve of those people himself he became Victor. He had to pretend he was single so he married under a secret name and then I was born.

Daddy has always worried I would be picked because of some horrible thing he did when he was in the capitol. He also doesn't know that I know this. Being only twelve he didn't want to scare me. My name is Vanessa Michel. Everyone calls me Nessa-Mie but most shorten it to Sammy. My father was Michael Patterson, the son of the leading general in the rebellion. He developed Dissociative Fugue and created a whole new name for himself, Mallorin Pitchmen. Mommy was Vanessa, she never told me her last name. She moved here with Daddy when he was twenty seven and they married a year later. Mommy goes by Natalia.

This is how my story goes.

I wake up and see my father snoring beside me. He has already had his nightmare for the night, those always come once or twice a night, so he will probably sleep until morning. Mom is a light sleeper but normally I can get out of the bed without bothering her. I do. I slip to the foot of the bed and slide onto the cool wood floor.

We live in a big two story house that is pastel blue in what is called the victor's village. A place only winners and select family members of winners get to live. Only two of the houses are in use right now. One is us the other is by Megs. She won the year I was four. She is now a mentor for the younger Tributes of District Four.

I walk down the cool wooden stairs and into the kitchen where I find my jacket and some shoes before I sneak outside and down to the water of the ocean. It is deep blue, reflecting the night sky that is void of moon tonight. I take off my jacket and shoes and slip into the cool water. My mother was a net maker before she married Father and she taught me how to make a net and tie many knots. She had to teach me how to swim but she says that she learned saving my father's life. I think of this as I drift out into the water on my back and relax.

_He didn't know me, Mallorin I mean. He had lost all that Michael was and that included me. He ran down to the edge of the water and splashed in about ankle deep before turning around, his eyes wide with fear. I was going to yell at him but as soon as I opened my mouth someone slammed into him and knocked him into the water. They wrestled in the shallow water for a while before they got to their knees and he was kicked from behind bya second guy._

_I was so furious that I made a lasso and flung it over the second one's neck. I pulled and just by luck he was off balance and feel to the water gagging. He couldn't get the rope loose from his neck. He flailed around like a dying fish as I tied another rope. I wasn't fast enough._

_The first attacker grabbed me by the throat and lifted me out of the water, choking me as I struggled. Mallorin stood for just a moment and even though he was bleeding and about to pass out he hit my assailant with a piece of driftwood before he passed out himself. The first helped untie he second and they ran off to the town._

_I tried to drag your father out of the water but I wasn't strong enough to turn him over so I ended up pulling him on top of me to warm him up, the water was freezing this time of year and he probably was freezing himself. He lay slightly snoring with his head on my stomach as I tried to stop coughing. He stirred slightly and I placed a hand on his face. We really were together ever since._

I know they had a rough patch just before Dad was reaped but love conquers. I feel vibrations in the water and swim upright. I look to the shore and see my two best friends stomping through the water to me. I smile and dive as far down as I can in the salty water, barely feeling it in my eyes. After a little while they are both down as deep as I am and they pull me to the surface.

"Sammy!" Blake yells as he hugs me. I struggle to keep us both afloat. He is thirteen but in the same class as me in school. He and I are almost opposites. I have my father's brown hair with a tint of my mother's red. The sun has given me strawberry blonde highlights. Blake has blonde hair that hangs in his face all the time in the front but is cut shorter in the back. My blue eyes meet his green ones and I try to shove him off. I am small in stature and, naturally, he is larger, so it has little effect.

This is when my other friend joins in. She is older than both of us, fourteen, and taller than Blake even though she weighs less by far. Elaine has copper hair with the normal sun blonde streaks that is cut up to her cheeks and pulled back in a ponytail. She slams into us and we sink, me flailing helplessly under them both for a moment before they tug me into shore. We laugh as we cough and flop onto shore on our backs, one of them on each side. We lay on the shore and talked as if the worst day of the year was not coming tomorrow.

"Sam, the sun is coming up." We sat up and I stared at Blake the I took both their hands and looks at the sky. They followed suit and we watched the sun rise sadly.

"We need to get home so your father doesn't think I kidnapped you again." Elaine hugs me and then we walk back to the Victor's village where I will be cooking them a meal since we are rich enough.

* * *

I wake up in a cold sweat. I don't scream this time but Natalia wakes up anyway. She hugs me and lays her head between my shoulder blades. I run my hand through my short goatee.

"Where is Nessa-Mie?" I ask.

"I'm sure she's either down at the water or in the kitchen with her friends." Natalia smiles sleepily , laying her chin on my shoulder. I kiss her forehead.

"I'm going to go eat. Want me to bring anything?" I smile, "Pregnant women should eat only their favorite foods!"

"You're still sleepy, Mallorin." She grins and shoves me onto the floor, "Go get me some oranges." She flops back on the bed laughing. I stand up and kiss her and leave, running down the noisy stairs. How does Nessa get down these at night? Ii see her with her three friends at the table and the mess they have made. I sigh and sit down, grabbing some food, ignoring the sugar that gets thrown across me. The three children always clean up after themselves.

"Do we still have oranges?" I ask. Instead I get a face full of flour. I shake my head and then my eyes flick up to meet my daughter's blue eyes. She grins and I stand up, "you asked for it." I start chaseing her and we run up the stairs and I grab her by the waist and spin her around. In the front Elaine slams into me and I bust out laughing as I spin, holding up both girls. I would have been fine if Blake didn't tackl me from behind. All the wind is knocked out of me as I fall to the ground, trying to roll the girls out from under me.

"We win!" Blake stands up, arms in the air and spins in victory before he falls and vanishes from view. I sit up, as do the girls, in worry. He definitely has fallen down the stairs. He suddenly stands up and shakes his head.

"I am alright!" He shouts victoriously. The girls run down and hug him and he spins them both around. I wish we could live every day like this, without the fear of the reaping or the capitol. I grab two oranges for Natalia as the children set about cleaning the mess in the kitchen. I smile when I find her in the bathroom brushing her hair. I show her the oranges and she grins.

After breakfast I have to get ready to leave early. I have a, um, meeting with a Capitol representative before the reaping. I shower and dress in my reaping outfit. I will have to train another set of Tributes. At least I still have the aid of Mags. She knows what I go through.

I'm shaking by the time I get to the meeting place. This client will probably decide whether my daughter gets reaped today or not. She is rough and I am much younger than her. She appears to just be an innocent Capitol woman. She was raised in District Two. After winning the seventh Games she became really popular and now lives full time in the capitol.

I knock on the door and she opens it with a grin, "Come on in." She lets me in and shuts the door. I turn to look her over, her hair is key lime green that matches her nails and dress. She looks at me hungrily and lunges forward. She rips my shirt off and shoves me to my knees. I whimper and she slaps me across the face. They can do whatever they want to me as long as it doesn't maim me. I have been beaten by some of these women, but not to the face.

She wraps a leather collar around my throat and ties my hands behind my back. I close my eyes as she prowls around me, "We have to make it fast today." She whispers, "The reaping and all." I just nod. _Make it fast._

* * *

I hate the dress I have to wear to the reaping. It is too fancy. Red with a white ribbon around my waist. My mother smacked my hands every time I tugged at it. I got my finger pricked and scanned and I walked to my standing spot. Little do any of these people know, I have been trained. I am terrified of the idea of my name being called, but I fear for Elaine. She has grown ill and only told me. She wouldn't be able to run at all. I just hope she and Blake are safe. Blake is big but underfed and actually, other than his sheer size, he is good at nothing physical. His coordination is awful.

"Good morning!" Marian walks on stage in an orange outfit, her hair a strange black with matching Orange hat. She goes through a speech I have heard since I was little. I ignore her but can't tear my eyes from the screen when images of the war flash on the screen. I glance at my father up on th stage. He has never been able to watch this footage. He hides his face behind his curtain of long blonde hair. He had forced his prep team to keep his hair long and blonde, not its natural color.

I am brought out of my reverie when she calls loudly, "Ladies first!" I hold my breath and flinch when someone grabs my hand. She is a girl in my class at school, also twelve like I am. She is shaking to the bones, not that that is very far to travel. She smiles at me and ticks her short brunette hair behind her ear. Clarisse was her name. She seemed too fragile, too delicate.

"It will be alright, Clarrisse." I nod and watch Marian pull a name out of the bowl.

"Elaine Turnstone!" She yells. I see her, make eye contact and I know what I have to do, "Next the boys."

"See, it's alright. I pat the other girls hand as mine starts to shake, "Not Blake, Not Blake."

"Liam Christopher." She calls. _Not Liam!_ Liam is about six foot nine and is very well fed. He works at sea with his father during the winter on their Fishing Vessel. He is stronger than any boy of seventeen should be.

"Oh, No." I whisper to prepare myself.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Marian asks. She spots someone in the crowd with a shaky hand, "Yes, come up, dear." I have to shake my head to realize it is me she is talking to. I put my hand down and start up to the stage, after prying my hand loose from Clarisse. My father is on his feet, furious with me. I look at my feet, unable to look at him as I climb the steps, "What is your name,Dear?" She shoves a silver microphone in my face.

"I am Vanessa Michel." I announce very proudly.

"How old _are_ you?" she asks, her already pitched Capitol accent pitching at the word you.

"Twelve." I answer.

"Twelve! What a brave girl! Our Tributes, Liam Christopher and Volunteer Vanessa Michel!" She smiles and I shake hands with Liam, smiling smugly even though I don't feel smug, I feel dumb.

**Any Reviews?**


	2. The Train

**I fear no one wants to read this one... I want to write it and I will but I am kind of sad that no one has reviewed but! Thank you MissDizzyD for your tribute!**

I see my mother one last time and Elaine comes to thank me but the visits are so short that I only really remember sitting and hugging about four people. When Blake comes to see me I hug him and he whispers about how brave and beautiful I am. I never saw us as romantic. He was always more of an older brother to me. Somehow, despite this, he knows what I need. He forces my chin up and kisses me gently before he is forced to leave. As I ride in the car I realize he was so much more than a brother. He was what I needed when I needed it. He was everything. He told me to stay safe and I didn't say anything but I did start to cry. Of all the people I wanted to see me cry, he was not one. One I needed to cry with, but not who I wanted to cry with.

On the train I am allowed to stay in my room until dinner, which is not a ball. My father glares at me whenever he can and makes small talk with Mags and Marian. I automatically do not like Mags. I get two sessions with her, even though there is supposed to only be one private session with your mentors. I get one to prepare me for battle and one to prepare for my interview. Mags seems bossy and powerful. Actually, no, she seems like a sweet innocent girl that hides a master schemer. She is smart and mysterious and hard to understand.

I stand up to leave and Mags says," Is everyone done?"

"Yeah, I was going…" I start but my father interrupts me.

"Sit down, Vanessa." It has been years since he called me that last. I sit down and try to look at Mags.

"Let's all go in the sitting room and see who we have to contend with. After, we will discuss who stuk out to us the most and then look at the whole group in turn. The least likely to win will probably be fighting the hardest." I look at Liam and he smiles seductively at me. I am one of those least likely to win.

We move to the sitting room as the reaping starts over. Apparently the reaping day they replay the reaping over and over with commentary. I watch as the reaping are introduced. Dad talks about how when he was reaped he tore up his room and slept most of the day before his mentor came in the room and beat the crap out of him. I smile but don't look away from the TV. Then the Reaping started.

District one had two Volunteers. They are perfect in every way. Mags informs me that they are the ones I want to aim to get as allies. They are very strong and the crowds will like them and the alliance we would have. District two and three don't have very noticeable candidates since they just seem to be underfed teenagers. I really don't want to watch this right now.

Then District Four comes up. I glance up at my father. He clenches his jaw and watches quietly as Elaine is called. They find her in the crowd and I watch her limp up to the stage. My heart drops when I see her. Just the walk to the stage has made it hard to breathe. She is pale and tears are streaming down her face but she looks so proud. Liam is called next and he seems to float as he walks. He is so smooth, his movements so naturally attractive. He will be liked by the crowds. I know he will be good. All the ones taught by my father make it to the last nine or even seven. They all are amazing. I ignore him as he smiles at me.

I volunteer next and the screen is split in two at the middle. They have me walking up to the stage on one side and the look on my father's face. He is furious. I look at myself. I look defiant, beautiful, proud and strong. I look nothing like the scared twelve year old I am. My hair seems to shimmer as if it is actually on fire and my dress makes the blue in my eyes shine out like pools of water lit from behind. Liam actually steps away from me and almost falls off the stage in fear. I grin and wink at him as he tries to shrug it off.

"You were scary, alright? Everyone saw it!" Liam says.

"Somehow I don't see that as a defense for you." I say as the grin widens on my face. I look at the TV and try to block out our times in school together. I had a lot of friends, Elaine and Blake being the closest, but Liam was in my circle.

_I sit on the picnic table and Liam laughs. I look up from my book and he sits down next to me and points, still laughing too hard to stop. I look up and bite my lip to keep the smile from turning into obnoxious laughter at Blake. He is tied upside down in a tree by one foot and struggles wildly to get loose. _

"_What are you laughing at?" He screams as he spins slowly on the rope._

"_You." Liam admits. Our group of friends come out of the trees and see him and they start to laugh as well. I let myself smile and take the knife out of my shoe. _

"_Blake." I get his attention and toos the knife. He catches it without any problems and saws himself loose. Liam looks at me like I'm something strange, "What?"_

"_Nothing." We all bust out laughing again_

District eight, a little girl was Reaped and dragged on the stage kicking and screaming. She managed to get three of the Peacekeepers to the ground before they get her to the stage. On the stage she takes out two more. The guy who is chosen finally calms her down and they stand with their foreheads pressed together.

I zone out a little after that and don't see much of the rest of the reaping. In district nine I see a girl my age but much skinnier and underfed. She looks hopefully out at the crowd but no one volunteers for her. In the same district a boy that was saved from the reaping two years ago by a volunteer actually volunteers. He is bigger than the first time and less sickly. I really watch him, trying to see how he might work, what is in his head. He has to redeem himself, for much more than being volunteered for.

District Ten catches my eye. The guy gets up on stage like he owns the place and tells a joke. Most at the Reaping don't get it but a lot laugh, including the peacekeepers. He is tall and skinny with short blonde hair and ice blue eyes. He stands next to the girl and I realize they are both extremely tall. The girl seems to be almost the exact opposite of him. Her dark brown hair flies around her like vines in the wind. She has a big smile, but it blooms when he wraps his arm around her shoulder. Her tanned skin pales him slightly as her neon green eyes look into his. They lift their free arms into the air and the crowd cheers wildly.

In District Eleven a girl about my size is called. She catches my attention because there is nothing remarkable about her, at first. She is small with the curliest long blonde hair I have ever seen. He skin was so pale it was almost translucent as she walked steadily up to the stage. Her hands shook in her little fists. She turns to the camera and I almost freeze in place as she smiles at me from the screen. Her brown eyes seem to stare into my soul, no, _burrow_ into my soul. I would definitely keep an eye on her. What was her name? Honey, I would keep an eye on her. The guy is _exactly_ opposite. He is taller than her and built very well. He has a smug grin and black hair cut close to his head. His grin looks as if he is always apologizing but his blue eyes say he is blaming you for the thing he apologizes for. His name is Luke. He hugs her and waves to the crowd as if claiming her as his own. His name is Luke.

Twelve comes last and the sky turns grey and rain starts to pour down before the woman gets any names out of the boys bowl. She pulls one out as both bowls fill with water. She messes with her hair, which is falling from the rain. Her makeup runs miserably as she steps up and reads the boy's name. She misreads it and no one comes up at first. Eventually they get the right guy up there and then they cut to the commentators.

"Pretty exciting this year. How many volunteers did you count?" The blue haired man says, looking at the pink woman beside him, I mean,_ pink_ woman.

"There is a large number this year. This is going to be some games. What did you think about that girl from district four?" She asks, "That thrilling outfit and flaming hair. If you didn't know it already, the look on her father's face confirms it, she is the daughter of the First Victor." The woman says.

"No denying it, after that outrageous look she received, I would be afraid to be." The man laughs artificially at the screen and the television turns off. Dad and Mags turn to Liam and I and I look anywhere but my father's eyes. Liam sits on the back of the chair between me and Mags and My dad sits in a recliner next to our couch.

"You two need to make allies and hope they are trustworthy. You will have to make yourselves desirable." Mags says.

"What you will have to do, Liam, is be social. Talk to people, make them like you. You need to convince them you have no fear and truly want them as allies. We can see you are fit. You have to give them a reason not to want to kill you first." My Dad is right. Liam is threatening.

"We can't play you off as weak, Vanessa, because your father seemed very weak and sickly before he went in and he killed twelve people. The same strategy won't work twice. Let them know how strong you are. We will train together every night in your room. Show them your skill in the training area and let them know you mean business. We will figure out a personality for you, but try to aim for bigger guy tributes."Mags informs me.

"We want you both to be a team, so put in a good word for eachother. Be social with everyone and try your hardest to get everyone on your side." Dad says.

"Now, who stuck out to you the most?" Mags asks.

00000000000000000000000000000

I listen as the conversation starts and my daughter tries to avoid my eyes. I try to keep up as I try to forget why she is here and do my duty. I have to train the boy and hope Mags trains my daughter correctly.

"I noticed, the guys always seem to be protecting the girls in all the Districts. District Eight, he calmed her down when she freaked out. District Ten the fifteen year old hugged the twelve year old. Is that a strategy this year?" Vanessa asks.

"Well, when I was there I had two allies through the entire thing. They were Gina and Amelia. I got medicine, which is extremely expensive. I got it because I protected them. Those guys are using those girls to get sponsors. The Capitol people will give them so much to keep those girls safe. This also drops the girls guard. They win on all sides." I answer her.

"What about us?" Liam asks. The boy has almost gone pale.

"I want you to seem like allies. You can become enemies after eight kills, but stay together until then. You don't have to pretend to be friends or anything like that. Just allies. This will scare the other tributes because you will have a stronger bond than them." Mags says, "But you will have separate training sessions for a good reason, you two might have to fight it out at some point." She looks at both of them who nod as they think this through.

"We will be at the capitol in a few days, not long, but it will put us on a tight deadline for the chariot. You will be redone by your stylists as soon as we get to the Capitol. Until then, there is nothing more from me. Anything from you, Mags?" I look at Mags.

"We'll come get you for meals but that's it." She stands up and so does Liam, but I stop Vanessa.

"I need to talk to you." I tell her then smile at the others as they leave.

"Dad, I…" She starts to defend herself and I put my hand up.

"I _am_ furious with you, but I saw Elaine. She is very ill. What you did was very stupid, but so very noble. I am so proud of you, you moron." I know this is not how I should be talking to my daughter, but I am furious. I feel the tears welling in my eyes. She was garunteed a spot in the games after my little knife stunt. I run a hand through my hair and sigh.

"I am so sorry, Daddy." I look up to find her in tears. I move over and sit next to her, pulling her into a hug as she sobs.

"Get it out, get it out now. We have to look strong or we will never win this." I whisper.

"We?" She shoves me away, "No, Dad, You already went in the arena! This is over for you! I am going onto this arena! All my life all you have done for me is saved a spot for me in the arena and brought me expensive presents from the Capitol!" She shoves me again before she stands. I know what is going on but it still hurts.

"Do you know why I was in the Capitol in the first place?" I yell at her, willing tears not to form, "Insuring your future!"

"You were with your lovers! I am not as nieve as you think I am! I know you go to see women and a lot of women! You have sex with everyone until you get what you want!" She turns and storms out of the room. I close my eyes and pinch my nose, sighing. _Should I tell her the truth?_

**Reviews please? **


	3. Stylists and Chariots

My father wakes me. The train ride went very smoothly other than the fact that I ignored him for the past few days. I put on a very loose white sweatshirt and blue jeans. The sleeves covered my hands that were freezing. I didn't look out the window as we arrived at the Capitol. I watched from the couch as Liam paced.

"Come on. We're here." Dad stood directly behind me and Mags lead us out. I held onto Liam's green flannel shirt as we stepped outside. It didn't take long for me to see why they had us sandwiched together. The Capitol people reached and grabbed for us. I became disoriented by the crowd of screaming and colors. Someone pulled me out of the group and I lost my grip on Liam. They weren't trying to hurt me but I was so overwhelmed.

I was grabbed by two strong hands and we were pulled into the building. I sat panting for a long time. Mags was cleaning blood off of Liam's face when I finally walked over to them.

"Oh, dear, they got you too. These Capitol people just don't have a clue!" Mags turns to me and starts dabbing my head with a rag.

"No, no, help him. I'll go clean myself up." I shove her hand gently away.

"No, your prep team will. Come on." I hadn't realized Dad had left the room until now, as he came back. He ushered us into another room and I hated the three people I met in there, "Do whatever they tell you to." My father informs me before he leaves me in their merciless hands.

"I am Flew." The one dressed in yellow and green tells me, "I am supposed to look like a flower. Anyway, this is Tran." He touches the grey woman's shoulder, "And the newest edition is Marcus." She points to the youngest one who is a strange orange. I think it's another guy. Suddenly a man comes through the door.

"Now, I am Darren. Come on. I guess we should start. This is awful. They had to give me the worst one to work with, Ugh!" This man infuriates me, "Strip down and get in the tub, we will take you to beauty base zero, if we can. So young! My career is already in shambles!" He starts taking my hair out of the two braids I did this morning. As I undress and get into the tub he complains to the others about my look.

"Shut up! Just do your job!" I yell, so aggravated I can't stand it. They take a moment to look at me angrily before they continue. I try to sink into the water but Darren holds me up by the hair.

"Oh, these claw marks! Now I have to change her whole outfit!" Darren runs his fingers delicutely over my forehead and just the little touch sets three cuts on my head on fire, "Cream, now." He snaps and Flew hands him this blue jar of cream. At first it is cool then it feels like he is peeling my cuts off my face.

"Why not just do her whole face?" I can't tell who says it but I jump up out of the water, just to be pulled back in by the hair.

"No! This crap hurts!" I point to my face and regret it.

"I wonder how you have lived with it this long." Darren looks at me from above and grins.

"Do you know how much I totally hate you right now?" I growl as he starts to lather the stuff on my face. I kick one of them in the face and then they start to scrub me clean with sand scrub that makes my skin feel raw.

"What is beauty base Zero?" I ask. Capitol people are strange. After raising back to power they started over indulging themselves. They think they are so superior that they give us nicknames and make up code names for everything.

"You are going to look like you woke up brilliant. Gorgeous skin but no makeup, popping eyes but no alterations. Flowing hair but not styled, perfect nails but not painted, no scars or blemishes, and all this hair on your legs!" Darren complains.

The hair rips from my skin as they wax me and I try not to scream. Wouldn't want to give them the satisfaction. Then they move to my eyebrows. This makes me cry like a child, well, I am a child. Then they stand me up and drape some blue silk over me. The blue silk flows with my movements as it hangs from my right shoulder. I feel almost naked with the thinness of it and the bareness of my shoulder.

"Ok." They take the silk off of me and put a fishnet shirt on. The black fishnet only shows on my right shoulder when they put the silk back on me. It takes an hour to curl my hair and flip it so it all flows off to the left side. On the right side of my face they hold a silver crescent moon over my eye. It takes a moment to adjust then I look in the mirror.

The silk accents my body but it seems to be my body, it flows off my hips like water flowing off me. One shoulder is covered by the flow of curls and the other is masked with the silver moon. It is not gorgeous but I love it. I spin around and take a better look at my movements in the silk.

"You did wonderful!" I say.

"It wasn't easy making you pretty." Darren laughs, "Let's get you to the stage. " We meet Mags on the ground level, remake area is underground. We take a short ride in the car and then I am taken into this huge building and told to stand next to my chariot and wait for Liam. I pet the giant black horse then I see the little girl I had wanted to watch, Honey. She is standing under the horse trying to touch it but, like me, is too short. My horse was nice enough to lean down to me, hers isn't. Luke, the guy from her district, walks up and lifts her up. They look rather happy together, other than their outfits.

Luke is taller in real life. He has white pants with a baggy white long sleeve shirt. The sleeves are tied at the wrists with gold cord that matches his gold vest and boots. There are corncobs sewn to his belt in the same gold. Honey has the same shirt on and vest but instead of white pants she has a gold flowing skirt with corn fields flowing across it. They let her hair flow down her back, much curlier and longer than I originally thought. Luke's hair lies in his face in the front, it is quite messy. It's exactly as it had been. I guess they couldn't do anything with it. I walk over to them and try to find something to talk to them about. The gold leaves that stick out from behind each ear about an inch and connect at the back of their heads.

"Hi, I'm Vanessa Michael from District Four." I put my hand out and smile at them. Luke lowers Honey to the ground and smiles. I notice how sad and apologetic his smile looks. The lines on his face give him more age than he actually has.

"You're that volunteer from Four. I'm Luke, this is Honey." He shakes my hand then I shake Honey's hand. Honey and I are about the same size and Luke is about three inches taller.

"I love what they did to your hair. The little crown things." I touch the little leaf on Luke's left side.

"Really?" He scoffs, "I think it looks good on Honey. What about this? You look like a fishnet being pulled out of water on a moonlit night!" He gestures at me then crosses his arms.

"Do I? I think that's what my _stylist_ was aiming for." I sigh.

"What?" Luke laughs. His laugh is loud but not obnoxious. I smile, "You didn't like your stylist either?" He asks.

"Not at all, he is an idiot, but a great designer. How old are you, Luke?" I ask, "And you Honey?"

"I'm fourteen." Luke answers.

"I just turned thirteen." Honey smiles and looks at the horse again and Luke smiles at her.

"She's a little short for her age." He grabs a strand of her hair and runs it through his fingers. She smiles at him then looks back up at the horse.

"She's a bit taller than me." I say defensively.

"But not half as terrifying." I turn around to find myself face to face with Liam who is smiling seductively. He stands up and reaches over me, "I'm Liam, from her district." Luke shakes his hand. At first glance he seems naked but then I see that he has the same fishnet shirt as me and a blue silk shirt under it. His black jeans match the jacket they have just thrown over his shoulders.

"Hey, Liam." I have seen him as attractive before but now he just seems to be another person to me. I jump when a high pitched Capitol woman starts to speak over the intercom.

"Tributes please move to your own chariots for your own safety. If you are not at your own chariot you will suffer the consequences. Report to your chariots." I shrugged to Honey and then smiled and waved goodbye to Luke as Liam grabbed my hand and dragged me back to my chariot. My father meets us there and Liam seems to stiffen at the sight of him.

"What's going on, Dad?" I ask as Liam hefted me onto the chariot.

"The place is falling apart. The girl from district eight attacked her district partner and scared her horses. They ran into a set of stands and almost took out a bunch of the Capitol people. I think they will make the stands higher next year. There wasn't enough room for all the spectators anyway. There is more people in the stands this year than even my year. They changed the chariot ride this year. There are six entrances that lead to a center where two chariots will ride down each path then make three loops around the center mark. I don't remember how they did it the first year but it took ages, I hear." He looks up at the screen that Caesar Flickerman is talking on. My father doesn't realize that I have seen bits of his Games. I have seen his chariot ride.

_I turn on the television. I haven't missed the whole thing. I am so happy my parents are asleep. This is the games recap they play every year before the newest games start. I somehow always miss the first one. At seven, my father doesn't want me to see him killing._

_The reaping is over but I get to see the chariots. Wow, the girl he is with is gorgeous. She looks like a goddess. She stands proud and tall, but my attention is drawn away from her, to my father. He looks so young, but something is wrong. He is pressing his fist to his face and his eyes are closed tight. Suddenly he leaps off of the chariot. The girl just laughs as Peacekeepers and some Capitol people go to him. He fights all of them off then curls up in a corner._

_He screams and tries to beat them off whenever they get close. Eventually they knock him out and, I'm assuming, his mentor carries him out. I snap the television off when I hear them stirring upstairs. _

"Your arm, District Four." It takes me a moment to come back out of my memories. I hold my arm out and they press something to it and then they mark me with a blue x on the palm where my outfit won't be messed up. They do the same to Liam then move on.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! The tributes!" I hear over the intercom. I grab Dad's hand and he smiles.

"You look beautiful. You will do great." He squeezes my hand then our chariot starts to move. We make it part of the way out and I catch sight of myself on a large screen on the side. I smile and start to wave to the crowd and they erupt into a chorus of my name, my district and nameless yelling. Maybe I have a chance. Liam stands with his arms crossed, smiling smugly. I catch sight of a screen where Honey is smiling sweetly and Luke is hugging her, holding an arm up as if in triumph.

As we circle around the center mark I lose my balance and almost fall over the edge but Liam hugs me around the waist, lifts me up and sets me on the other side of him.

"Wouldn't want you to fall, would we?" He grins and our Chariots pull up into a line and they introduce us in turn. We each get a special title like, 'The girl who can't get beaten' for the girl from eight who keeps beating people up. They get to Liam and I'm surprised at his.

"District Four, Liam, The pure sweetheart!" Where did they get that? His white hair?

"District Four, Vanessa- Michael, Child of the Games!" I smile and raise my hand like Luke had been.

"What does that mean?" I whisper to Liam, he leans over, still smiling.

"Your father is considered the father of the games. You're his child. Child of the games, make sense?" He nudges me then the Chariot makes another round and we are back in our loading docks.

"That was amazing." Dad assures us. He wipes the sweat off his face and leads us to the car.

"So, Child of the Games. The nickname thing is new." Mags says. We unload and our prep teams start to help us undress.

"Tomorrow, you start your training." Dad smiles.

"And preparation for the interview." Mags adds.

**Thank you MarigoldXObsidian, HG Fan, twilightrose711, JoshuaEvans123, and MissDizzyD for your reviews.**

** This one is going to be a little different from the 75th Hunger Games. Much in store so keep watching!**


	4. SORRY

**i am so sorry i have been away! i will update very soon. My computer crashed. Been without it for like ever! Please bear with me. I will update soon but I have to rewrite it and that is really hard for me. Please bear with me. Thank you all!**


	5. training?

They sent us down to the training floor at nine the next morning. We were introduced to the instructors then a woman in old fatigues started listing the rules.

"You will not attack each other." She starts, "You will not fight each other, and you will use the dummies or the instructors to learn your weapons. You will not use weapons on each other. You will be able to go to any station for any amount of time for three days. You do not have to go to every station." She claps her hands together, "Good luck."

I go to the edible plants station first. I really need this one because Dad only remembered a little bit of this. They show us the difference between good and bad plants. It took me a while but I learn as much as I can. The other tributes come and go from the station as I learn as much as I can. I move to dangerous bugs. I watch the girl from one as she picks all the dangerous bugs out and puts them into stacks and leaves the edible bugs. I watch her do it twice and walk up and sort the little plastic bugs out like she did.

"So this stack was the dangerous bugs and these are edible?" I ask. I heard the instructor tell her not to mess with any bug that wasn't edible because in the arena there are only two kinds of bugs.

"Is it?" she smirks, "I'm not sure."

"Well, these bugs look just like the bugs from home that bite when you touch them so they probably won't be safe. They have specific danger marks that are intended or animals in nature to see that they are dangerous. Seeing as these have the same markings on their wings I assume they are also dangerous. These are trying to psych animals out and make them think they are dangerous, this set here, but their markings are wrong. These bugs are edible but pretending not to be. In this stack are some that look similar but red dots make them distinguishable." I inform her as I start to walk away.

"Really?" She looks at the bugs with a critical eye. I smile as I pass her.

"No, I made all that up, I was just copying you." I see her smile and nod as I continue to the sword station. Honey is here. I watch her closely. The sword is heavy but as the instructor helps her she gets a good form. The next few days she should be able to use a sword alright. I walk over to where Luke is working with spears. He listens closely to the instructor but no matter how many times he tries he can't hit a target. He finally gives up but I walk over to him.

"Hey, uh, I'm not sure what you like to be called." Luke says.

"Sammy. It's a shortened version of my nickname. I want you to try the spear again." I say, "But this time arch your back a little more and take a few steps before you throw it." I have watched the fishermen at home using spears. Luke does as I tell him and hits a dummy in the leg.

"That can still be lethal." I congratulate him. I pick up a spear and take a breath. I close my eyes and vision my target and throw.

"That was lethal." He sighs. I open my eyes and want to cry. I missed completely and got the wall about two feet away. Luke tries so hard not to laugh, he really is nice. I look over to see him biting his upper lip, rubbing his lower one with his thumb to keep from smiling.

"You're a jerk." I elbow him in such a way that none of the instructors see.

"Are you crazy! The game makers!" He points and it's only now that I see that there are game maker in purple robes up on a raised platform. They weren't there when Dad was here.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean t…" I look up and see him rubbing his bottom lip again and elbow him even harder. This time he busts out laughing, trying to give me this pained look that just makes me laugh.

"That really hurt, Sammy!" He yells. Everyone looks at us and I cover my face that I know has turned blood red.

"Shut up!" I yell.

"Why would you do that?" He chooses to yell aloud. I uncover my face and grab his shoulders, trying to get to his face to cover his mouth. He gets my hand off his mouth and stands back to his full height, "Get off me!"

"Shut up, Luke!" I laugh and wrap my arms around his waist and pull him to the ground on top of me. Ii should be afraid when the peacekeepers come over and separate me from Luke and escort us to the elevator. They shove us in together and close the door after warning us that peacekeepers wait for us at our floors. When we start Luke snorts and I elbow him in the chest. He doubles over laughing.

"I am so sorry, Sam." He holds his side as he leans on the wall of the elevator and laughs. I shove him and he falls on his face.

"We're even. I grin. I get off at four and a peacekeeper escorts me to my room.

"I will inform your mentor that you are here." Then he closes my door and I hear him going down the hall.

"Please not Dad. Please not Dad." My door opens and Mags walks in and slams the door. For some reason I suddenly wish it was my dad. My dad would have given me a hint as to whether I should run or cry. I wanted to do both. Mags face had no hint of anything. She almost looks bored. She walks over to me then smacks me in the temple. I look up at her, confused then wish she would go back to looking bored instead of furious.

"So, you got yourself kicked out of the training room for the rest of the evening? Do you know how much pressure I am under and now this! I have to get a twelve year old girl through with the name Child of the Games! They are all coming for you! You have a target on your back and I have to wash that target off while all I ask is for you to keep your head down and study! I bet teachers at the school loved you! Vanessa, If anything else happens like this I don't think I can mentor you anymore." She sits down next to me and laces her hands behind the back of her head and rests her elbows on her knees.

"Mags, I was just kidding with Luke and they kicked us out. I didn't do anything, really." I try. She just sits there, doubled over. I see the scar on the back of her neck where she has moved her light brown hair to the side.

"Is it hard _in there_?" Ii ask.

"Yes." She stands up and makes sure the scar is covered, "Take training more seriously. Your dad will get you for dinner." Then she leaves me alone. Tears well up in my eyes. I didn't even make it to lunch. I should have walked away when he made me angry. Not that I really did anything wrong.

I sit on my bed for a while and wipe every tear away angrily as they fall. I feel so stupid, feel so angry, feel so used. I get up and walk over to the wall. My room has a strange look to it. I grab the remote from my bedside table and press the four button, out of curiosity. Suddenly I'm staring at the beach. Not just any beach, the one I swam in just a day and a half ago with my two best friends. I smile and touch it with my hand. The wall ripples lie water then returns to the beach scene. That's when I notice the instruction manual that tells me how to use the remote. I press the arrow buttons and flip through hundreds of different scenes from district Four. I stop when I'm stareing down at the crystal clear water. I have never seen it from this angle. It is gorgeous. There is the sunken fishing boat. I've swam down to that boat before. I touch it again and it ripples.

I sit on the bed and stare at the waves as they move across my wall. Yes, the waves move.

"_Mallorin!" Mom calls to Dad, "Don't you dare take her out any further! She can't swim that well!"_

"_Yeah she can." My dad takes me out to where the water is to his neck. I am barely tall enough to reach the counter at home. A wave smashes over his head and he pulls us up and then moves further out to the water so that we aren't in the break any longer. I can tell he can barely reach the bottom when a wave goes by._

"_Dad, I'm scared." I tell him._

"_You're have practiced at the lake. Remember, hold your breath and when you hit the bottom push up." He nods his encouragement and I nod back. I start to kick my legs and move my arms through the water. He lets go and I stay right where I am, even when a wave goes by. I dive down to his feet. The waves stir up the dirt a few feet away but even through the salt I can see the colorful fish. I push off the bottom and break the surface just as another wave hits. I try to gasp for air but I'm already under._

_I feel the current pulling me down and I have already held my breath too long. I try to push up but another wave catches me and holds me under. Just when I think it's over I feel Dad pull me to the surface and we are on shore before we know it. I stare up through the palm tree leaves and try to cough up all the salt water in my lungs. My mother is over me yelling at Dad._

"_Mallorin! I told you she was not ready for that! How could you just put her in danger like that? She is five! She isn't one of your tributes you have to train! She is your daughter and you don't have to risk her life like that!" She yells. I want her to stop but I can't talk without risk of coughing more, which I do anyway._

"_Do you know what I do to keep her from being one of the tributes I have to train? Do you know that she still may be a tribute even though I do these things? How I am used against my will and I still might lose her? I don't want her to be reaped then die because I didn't try hard enough!" Dad screams._

"_You're trying too hard! Mallorin! You don't want to kill her before she has a chance!" My mother yells. My Dad scratches his beard then turns away from her and walks down the beach, one hand on the back of his neck._

That's when I start to think about it. What does my dad do to keep me out of the Games? All I know is he did a pretty bad job at it. He wasn't really ever home, he was with his string of lovers in the capitol. Bet that's where he is now. When he was home he was training me. We didn't have a bad relationship we just didn't see each other.

"Oh, No!" That's when it hits me. Dad's string of lovers, that is what he did to try to protect me from the Games. I remember my father from footage of his games before and after. What wouldn't my father do to keep me from that?

0000000000000000000000000

I walk out to get a drink and Mags waits for me. I grab one of the snack sandwiches and shove it in my mouth before I grab a cup and sit on the counter.

"What is it, Mags?" I ask through my full mouth.

"Your daughter." Mags crosses her arms and taps her foot angrily.

"My daughter?" I raise an eyebrow.

"She got kicked out of training today, for the rest of the day." She almost yelled.

"She what?" I choked on my drink and spit a lot into the sink.

"I would like to know what your secret was. How did you win, since your daughter is so much like you, maybe then I can help her. Otherwise, I don't know if I can. She didn't care about the Reaping"

Awkward. I sighed," I will take care of it.

I walked slowly down the hall and opened her door. Before a word left my mouth she slammed into me and almost knocked me to the floor, hugging my aist and crying.

"Daddy I am so sorry! I should have listened. you have done so much for me. I'll take this more seriously, I promise!" She whined into my chest.

"Alright, calm down. Calm down." I just held her, wishing I could help her, but i knew in the end there was only one way to help her.


End file.
